(UEFA) Football Thread - Football not Soccer

[Starkers]

I think it's going to prove a roaring success, or an absolute disaster, there won't be any middle ground. On the plus side he has proven he can do well with a team in this division, and he (for some reason) managed to retain the support of the forest fans, but the downside is that he likes to get his own way, he doesn't get on with his chairman and he spends money like it's going out of fashion (and sulks when he doesn't get his own way.)

Al Hasawi has clearly done this to appease the fans, but I wonder if he knows what he's let himself in for? Sometimes strong willed people can work well together, but this all seems rather strange. Why didn't they approach Billy when they sacked SoD? Why appoint McCleish then get rid soon after? something fishy somewhere...

[Angel4576]

Davros at Forest, under the Hasawis, is a disaster, and laughing stock, waiting to happen IMO.

He thought Doughty was too interfering for not letting him spend as much money as he wanted, just imagine what he's going to make of the Hasawis trying to pick the team for him.

[Shaytan]

Before yesterday, I was a happy supporter, now I'm a very happy supporter. ANd the best thing is that I don't care about Zlatan's red card. They can play very well without him, that wasn't the case 3 months ago but now, there is a strong team.

[HappyDayRiot]

Only Zlatan. What a guy.

[Alidar Jarok]

Anyone have thoughts on the soccer fixing scandal?

[Starkers]

Well the article is out of date somewhat given that the English team involved was Liverpool and the weren't actually involved. It was the opposition.

I think my first thought is that I'm not surprised, although given more recent stories it seems it's at its worst in China, which has seen countless players/officials banned for life in recent days (apparently an entire team really obviously contrived to score an own goal).

It's always struck me as an odd sport to fix, not like boxing where you can 'take a dive' I mean even if the keeper's in on it and lets soft goals in, this doesn't preclude the rest of the team playing well and still winning. A lot of the cannier fixing seems to be related to spot betting on things like the time of a first corner/throw in etc.

Sadly the rise in gambling nowdays just makes it all the more likely. I'm literrally horrified at how dereggulated the industry in the UK seems to be now (thanks to Labour when in power) and I wonder what the stats say about the numer of people now with gambling addiction compared with before. Plus it makes me hate Ray Winston...

[Starkers]

Will Rafa even last at Chelsea till May? Of course none of their fans will critisise Roman over this, he who owns the purse strings makes the rules...I notice as well that Cardiff's owners are mooting the whole name change to the Cardiff Dragons if they're promoted.

They realise this is football not the NFL right?

[Shaytan]

For the record : Beckham played 80 minutes yesterday and he did a good job.

With style :


He also made a new friend, with style too


During this time, another Englishman (Barton) was also making a new friend


This is the feeling of a PSG-OM

[Jax]

Man Utd 1-2 UEFA

[Starkers]

I do tend not to like CR very much, but he impressed me with his incredibly muted goal celebration...of course maybe he's being extra cautious because he's lining up a return...which may be the same reason Rooney was on the bench!

[Shazam!]

Jax wrote:

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Man Utd 1-2 UEFA

Makes a change from [Insert Premier League Team Here] 1 - 2 FA

[{ Emilia }]

Jax wrote:

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Man Utd 1-2 UEFA

Debatable. Is it some new British thing to blame international football bodies whenever they fail to win a game?
I'm honestly wondering because I found Celtic's whining and moaning after the match against Juventus so fucking bizarre.

These guys didn't manage to create a single good chance from open play in 90 minutes. They were tactically and technically utter rubbish. All they did was run a lot. Brainless. So they lose 0-3.

And then go on to blame the referee for not giving penalties during corner kicks. What did they expect? They bullied their way through the group stages by having their attackers foul opposing goalkeepers during corner kicks. Now Conte told Lichtsteiner to always stand between Hooper and Buffon and Lennon cries foul and whines and moans and cries and... generally makes Celtic look like sore losers.

/rant off

I used to really like Celtic. Now I think they're pathetic. When you can't score a goal from open play and concede 3... how about you just shut up?

Did this referee and federation bashing thing start when FIFA screwed you over back when it gave the WC to Qatar?

[Starkers]

I’m not sure this is strictly speaking a British thing. Plenty of managers/clubs/fans blame officials for the decisions that cost games. Me I figure most of the time it evens out in the end, swings and roundabouts as they say. Plus there is a difference between blaming the ref and blaming UEFA/FIFA, and as far as I’m aware neither Lennon nor Ferguson have done that, it’s just Jax

[{ Emilia }]

Starkers wrote:

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I’m not sure this is strictly speaking a British thing.

Oh, it most definitely isn't. It's just something I never noticed as much before when British teams were involved. So it seemed a bit new.

Although... I do remember Ferguson and his stupid, stupid, stupid "Typical Germans" comment (which if I recall correctly was aimed at... Ribery and Robben ). So there's that.

I love Conte's irony by the way. Asked whether he could imagine Lennon in Serie A he replied: "Yes, he's a very capable manager and he has learned to blame refs for defeats. He would fit right in Serie A."

Plenty of managers/clubs/fans blame officials for the decisions that cost games. Me I figure most of the time it evens out in the end, swings and roundabouts as they say.

Yeah, that's my take on it, too. I also don't see conspiracies everywhere (which makes me an untypical Italian football fan I guess. )

it's just Jax

[Starkers]

{ Emilia } wrote:

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Yeah, that's my take on it, too. I also don't see conspiracies everywhere (which makes me an untypical Italian football fan I guess. )